In order to inculcate a sense of civic responsibility and an understanding of electoral process among young learners, students of Vizhinjam Government Harbour Area LP School in Kerala participated in a comprehensive mock election with electronic voting machines (EVMs). The mock election was organised with the collaborative efforts of the government school teachers, including the headmaster and the committee members.
Under the initiative, the students were made to go through a complete electoral process by following a mock drill of elections. The students were taught to demonstrate their aptitude in organising a field election, which included setting up EVMs, handling postal ballots, conducting result tabulation and declaring outcomes.
Around 149 students participated in the event by casting their votes in the drill. The elections were conducted for electing the leader of the school. The contest was held between four students. The top contender Murshida won the election with 46 votes and was elected as the school leader. The election process was led by another student called Munira.
The mock drill of the election was conducted with the help of a specially designed piece of software which helped in teaching the students about the intricacies of the country's election system, its procedure and methods.
The process helped the students to understand the procedures of the elections by performing tasks involved in the electoral system. The students learnt through their new experiences about the submission of nomination papers and the election campaign, followed by the voting process. Official duties, from presiding officer to polling assistant, were performed by the children themselves. The students undertook the responsibility of creating a model EVM and control unit, emulating the actual electronic voting machines used in real elections.
The students actively engaged in a comprehensive mock election, demonstrating their aptitude in arranging a field election, which included setting up electronic voting machines (EVMs), handling postal ballots, conducting result tabulation, and declaring outcomes.